PixelJunk Eden Soundtrack Bundle

If you say "Q-Games", the first things that come to mind are probably Nintendo and Sony. (Oh, and there's that other Japan-based developer with a similar name.) But you think consoles. You don't think computers. Consoles. That could change.

"We want to be recognized as independent and as a developer that does many different things," Dylan Cuthbert, Q-Games founder, tells Kotaku.

The studio definitely does a wide array of things—from making games to music as well as working on tech demos and interfaces. However, Q-Games is closely associated with fellow Kyoto game maker Nintendo as well as Sony.

Makes sense. There's a long history between Cuthbert and both companies. The close working relationship does make sense.

PixelJunk producer James Mielke adds that Q-Games is just not seen as an indie dev—and there is a notion that Q-Games is simply an arm of those companies, instead of an independent game developer, self-financing its own projects.

It would be easy to make that mistake as the studio's titles either end up on Sony or Nintendo platforms. Earlier this year, though, Q-Games did release a tweaked and tuned version of PixelJunk Eden on PC. Cuthbert is quick to point out that this was "experimentation".

"We are interested in Steam," Cuthbert says about Valve's PC platform. Q-Games is currently working on four projects for unspecified platforms.

But Cuthbert sounds less interested in porting. If given the choice between porting something over to PC and doing something totally new, Cuthbert mentioned how he'd prefer to do something new for PC. Says Cuthbert, "It would have to be original."

So that doesn't necessarily mean more PixelJunk games won't end up on Steam (nor does it mean they won't be on the PlayStation Network), but it sounds like Cuthbert would rather make a brand new title for PC gamers. And that sounds like a good thing. By creating new titles, Q-Games can hopefully sidestep something that plagues so many developers: driving a brand into the ground.

Q-Games isn't stopping at PC; the studio is also looking into iOS games, creating mock-ups, which Cuthbert once again calls "experimenting". The goal, he says, is to see how the platform works and test out development on it. "We've always done this, though," Cuthbert added.

During this current generation, Q-Games has churned out some of the most polished—and interesting—games for home consoles and handhelds. From the sound of it, the PC could be next.

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- Additional languages now supported. As well as English, French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese, with this update you can now also choose to play Eden in German, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian and Polish! Use the Language tab (right click PixelJunk Eden and select Properties) to make your choice.

*** Major New Feature ***- As promised a special new 'Legacy Mode' gives you the option to play with a gamepad if you still prefer the feel of the original PS3 Eden

Also in this release:-- if you play Eden on more than one PC then each one will now store its own preferred display resolution rather than a single shared copy stored in the Cloud- a bug with an achievement in Garden 15 has been fixed

Updates to PixelJunk Eden have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

- Added a menu item to reset hints so they will be displayed again- When the game is run directly without using the Steam Client, the game will first prompt the player to log into Steam. This means no matter how the player starts the game his acheivements, savedata and ranking will be stored within Steam

The critically acclaimed PSN hit PixelJunk™ Eden has swung its way to Steam and is 20% off until Thursday February 9th 10AM PST.

With a spectrum of new features and controls re-imagined specifically for the PC, PixelJunk™ Eden on Steam will feel brand new for even the most seasoned veterans of the PS3 version. Swing, climb, and jump your way through massive gardens of vibrant other-worldly plant-life in this truly organic platformer and grow each garden as you explore and guide your tiny yet agile "Grimp" toward the elusive "Spectra" which are hidden throughout each stage. Ride giant plants as they grow beneath you, then swing from them destroying Pollen Prowlers in an ever-increasing cacophony of pollen. Be fired from cannons, float in zero-G, warp to mirror worlds or simply be buffeted about by the wind while clinging desperately to a dangling leaf; each garden has a unique set of challenges, puzzles and enemies that will expand your mind!

Also available is the PixelJunk™ Eden Soundtrack featuring 17 original background music tracks featured in PixelJunk™ Eden and PixelJunk™ Eden Encore by indie musician Baiyon.